HP recalls 101,000 laptop batteries over fire concerns

HP is recalling around 101,000 lithium-ion batteries used in the company’s range of laptops. The recall is an expansion from the 41,000 recalled back in June, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission claims affected batteries could overheat “posing fire and burn hazards.” Affected laptops include the HP ProBook, HP ENVY, Compaq Presario, and HP Pavilion notebooks sold between March 2013 and October 2016.

The CPSC recommends that consumers remove the batteries from affected devices and contact HP for a free replacement. Laptops can still be used by plugging them into AC adapters until a replacement battery arrives. HP has set up a battery recall site, and it’s worth double checking your laptop isn’t affected even if it was cleared as part of the previous recall in June.

Overheating reports seem to be limited compared to the numerous incidents of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 exploding and causing damage last year. A HP spokesperson revealed to CNET that less than 1 percent of laptops sold during the time frame were affected. HP says it has received one additional report of a battery overheating, causing about $1,000 of property damage. This isn’t the first time HP has been affected by fire-related recalls. HP was forced to recall six million laptop cords back in 2014, due to reports of overheating.